Boy, the news out of Milwaukee just keeps getting worse. First Prince Fielder somehow and unaccountably decided to emulate Scrooge McDuck and just go for the money. And now super-utilityman and premier pinch-hitter Craig Counsell is quitting the team, just when he's hitting his peak?

I jest, of course. But it does seem that Counsell is hanging up his spikes. Tom Haudricourt:

The Brewers haven't announced it yet but word has leaked out (CBS Sports first reported it) that Milwaukee native Craig Counsell has decided to retire and take a role in the club's front office.

The Brewers are expected to announce shortly exactly what role Counsell will have in the organization. His expected job will be special assistant to the general manager.

I don't think Craig Counsell will wind up in the Wing of Amazing, but he did put together sort of an amazing career, don't you think? Not many 11th-round draft picks reach the majors at all, let alone play in the majors until they're 41. Counsell played in 110 or more games in seven seasons ... all of them after his 30th birthday. As a rookie in 1997, he joined the Marlins in late July, took over at second base for the injured Luis Castillo, and stayed there all the way through Game 7 of the World Series ... in which he scored the World's Championship-winning run.*

* Counsell was also on base, but didn't score, when Luis Gonzalez beat Mariano Rivera in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series.

Of course, last season Counsell also suffered through one of the worst batting slumps in world history ... but of course all was forgiven when Counsell's Brewers finished in first place anyway.

He spent the last five seasons of his playing career with the Brewers, which was lovely since he was born, raised, and still lives in the village of Whitefish Bay, on the shore of Lake Michigan and just a hop, skip and a jump from Miller Park. And it's doubly fitting that he's moving into the front office.